Picture Perfect
by Chocolate Peppermint
Summary: One little change can alter fate forever. And the repercussions will affect everyone. Bella!vampire, set during New Moon


**A/N **Ok, hey peoples, XD Here is a Twilight fic for you - written because I was utterly bored with nothing to do.

I know this is short, but think of it as a prologue in a way - second chapter will have Bella (though she's briefly in this one the beginning)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight - it belongs to Stephenie Meyer. If I DID own Twilight, I'd be rich -_- and my sister would die of happiness

* * *

"_Bella," the angel murmured in his velvety voice, the sheer beauty of it amazing me. I struggled to find the source of the musical voice, but the darkness around me made it impossible – I couldn't even find myself. I had no chance of seeing the face that belonged with that inhuman voice._

_As soon as that realization dawned on me, a piercing agony rippled through my chest, tearing and ripping away at it violently. The agony was followed by another feeling – warmth. I welcomed the feeling – anything to stop the aching pain from the hole in my chest. The heat began to grow, spreading throughout my body rapidly._

_This began to worry me a little, but with the crushing darkness surrounding me, I had no choice but to endure whatever came. The heat, though, was better than the pain brought from the angel's voice – I'd gladly take it._

_The warmth began to escalate, going from warm to hot. It was uncomfortable now, hot like a burn from the oven. I tried to squirm away from the heat but couldn't, terror rising, swelling within my burning body._

_Why?! Why was this happening?! An anguished shriek tore from my throat, followed by more screams as the burning continued, moving rapidly through my body, searing every vein, every muscle, every cell…_

* * *

"…heard it was pretty bad, John. It was a whole family…"

"…thing to happen…did you hear about the state their bodies were in…?"

Mike Newton inconspicuously drifted closer to the two customers, both only a few years older than him. College students. And both were fairly good looking. They probably had no trouble getting girls, Mike mused to himself sourly.

Pretending to be checking some of the hiking equipment in the opposite aisle, Mike leaned forward to catch their voices, which where hushed.

"Yeah, torn at the neck by _something_," The one named John whispered in shocked awe.

"What do you think it could've been? A wolf?" The other one asked, worry coloring his tone.

"Hardly," John scoffed. "This things gotta be like – a monster – some mutant bear, I'll bet."

Unable to stop himself, Mike snorted loudly, drawing the attention of the two customers. They both stopped talking, and even though an aisle separated them, and they had no clear view of Mike, they seemed to get the gist that someone had been eavesdropping. Their departing footsteps were proof of that.

Mike sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and kicking himself inwardly as he watched them leave the store without making any purchase. Still, their theories had just been so ridiculous. Mutant bear? Yeah, right.

Although he couldn't deny that he wasn't curious. After the family had been found – one Mom, one Dad, and one five year-old boy – dead, bodies disfigured almost past recognition, the talk around Forks had been circling around who could've done the horrible crime.

There was no doubt in everyone's head though; that whoever was responsible for this homicide was also responsible for the disappearance of Isabella Swan.

Upon news of her disappearance, Mike could only gawk, mouth hanging open. His mind immediately jumped to Cullen, though the family had left months ago. The nagging suspicion never left, even as a week passed, and no news of Bella reached his ears.

Still, as everyone pointed to different possible suspects – reformed drug addicts, newly released criminals, old robbers – Mike couldn't shake off the eerie feeling that the question wasn't _who _had done this, but _what?_

The thought would always be shaken off with a short laugh. It was stupid – this was obviously a murder, no doubt at human hands. But no matter how much Mike told himself that, he couldn't convince himself, and the possibility that this wasn't a "who" returned, haunting his mind, lingering in the background of every thought.

* * *

(Jacob Black)

"There was nothing we could've done, Jake," Embry sighed sympathetically, hand landing on my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

I shook it off fiercely, fists clenched and shaking, a snarl tearing through my clenched teeth. I launched one of my fists at a nearby tree, smashing away a layer of bark.

I made no move to turn as the sound of footsteps reached my ears, but Embry moved slightly away from me.

"Jacob."

I didn't respond to the voice of the pack leader – the Alpha.

He said something to Embry, a command I didn't bother to catch. It was difficult to focus on a single word – what was the point? The fury and torture rocking my frame distracted me from all else.

"Jacob, you need to calm down," Sam said in a soft but firm voice. He made no move to approach me. Wise of him.

The tremors rocking me didn't lessen at his command.

"Jacob," he said again, voice stronger now, steelier. "You must calm yourself. Subduing to your pain and guilt won't help anyone."

I strangled sob sounded deep in my throat, and I fell to my knees. I heard Sam take a hesitant step forward as I breathed in ragged gasps that sounded dangerously close to crying. God, it was a good thing Paul wasn't here.

"It's my fault," I choked out, guilt crashing over me as the words left my mouth, lips barely moving. I gripped my head in my hands, fingers clawing at my hair. "_It's all my fault!_"

While I was drowning in my own misery, I was vaguely aware of both of Sam's hands placing themselves on my shoulders. I made no move to pull away from him, the guilt mixed with agony erasing my defiance, like a candle being blown out.

"These things happen," Sam spoke quietly. "We can't save everyone. We can't win every time," his voice twisted a bit with sorrow as he talked, the truth of his words depressing him.

"If I would've told her…" I began, voice shaking, "she would still be here…_we could've protected her!!!"_

I couldn't be here anymore, not with Sam attempting to comfort me, not with the blame drowning me. Leaping to my feet, I sprinted as fast as my legs would go, ignoring Sam's calls.

Once out of range, I gave into the tremors, closing my eyes while I transformed. Four paws thudded against the earth, and I ran more rapidly now.

I had no destination in mind – I just ran, desperate to get away from everything. Away from Sam, away from Embry, the pack, my father, La Push –

Away from the fact that I had failed Bella.

The wind whipped through the trees, weaving in between the leaves, making them whisper, all of them sounding the same as the whispered to me:

_You're fault, you're fault, you're fault, you're fault, you're fault – _

I howled, an agonized noise.

_-you're fault…_

* * *


End file.
